Hong Kong (香港 Heūnggóng in Cantonese, Xiānggǎng in Mandarin) [1] is a place with multiple personalities, as a result of being Cantonese with a long-time British influence and increasingly more China connections. Perhaps the hallmark of this city is the frenzied vibrancy and the world class cuisine.

On the surface, it's an urban landscape without the charm of what one would consider "China." It offers the same upscale shopping malls and boutiques found in other world cities. But the small curious nooks, as well as the beautiful greenery and hiking trails, make it unique. The city is also known for its incredible efficiency as a result of its convenient transport, quick customer service and fast pace.

Understand

Map of Hong Kong

History

In January 1841, as a result of the defeat of the Ching Dynasty of China in the First Opium War, Hong Kong became a British colony, under the Convention of Chuen Pi. After the defeat of China in the Second Opium War, the Kowloon Peninsula was ceded to Britain in 1860. In 1898, the New Territories — a rural area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon district — were leased to Britain for 99 years.

In 1984, the Chinese and British Governments signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong, giving Hong Kong back to China effective 1 July 1997. Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China. Under the slogan "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong remains a capitalist economy without various restrictions that apply in mainland China such as news censorship and foreign exchange controls.

In accordance with the Joint Declaration, a Basic Law was enacted to serve in effect as a constitution for the Hong Kong SAR. In theory, Hong Kong enjoys "a high degree of autonomy" in most matters except foreign and defense affairs. In practice, it is more complex than that. Beijing exerts much influence and there are groups pushing for a more democratic regime.

Climate

Hong Kong is a little chilly in the Winter and hot and humid in the Summer. The best times of year to visit are thus Spring (March-April), when the average temperature is around 25°C and the climate is not too humid, and Autumn between September and November. Typhoons usually occur between June and September and sometimes can bring a halt to local business activities for a day or less. The weather in winter is unstable. It can range from 12-22°C.

Festivals

Chinese (Lunar) New Year

Although this may seem like an ideal time to go to Hong Kong, many shops and restaurants close down during the Chinese New Year. However, unlike Christmas in Europe where you can hardly find shops open on this big day, you can still get food and daily products easily during Lunar New Year.

Spring Lantern Festival

If you go to Victoria Park of Hong Kong Island, you will have a great excursion of this tradition Chinese festival. A great deal of beautiful lanterns can be found.

Ching Ming Festival

This festival in Spring is also known as grave sweeping day. As a tradition, members of the Chinese family go to the grave of their ancestors, sweep away the leaves and remove weeds around the grave area, with a view to showing respect to the deceased. Paper offerings are also burned including fake money.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

This is centered on the tiny island of Cheung Chau. In the past the festival has involved competitions with people climbing Bun Towers to snatch buns. After the accidental collapse of a bun tower in 1978 due to overload of people, the competition was abandoned. It was resumed in 2005 with new safety measures.

Tuen Ng Festival

This is a festival in memory of a national hero.

Mid Autumn Festival

This festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eight lunar month. Moon cakes are eaten, these contain various fillings which may include a duck egg yolk. The festival is also known as the lantern festival and various parts of Hong Kong will be festooned with decorative lanterns which set the night scene ablaze with colour.

Chung Yeung Festival

Winter Festival

Tourism

When to visit

The climate is ideal in October and November. The humidity is typically high in the Spring and even worse in the Summer, when extreme temperatures are often recorded. Rugby fans, and those wishing to party, should come during the weekend of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens. During the Chinese New Year, whilst there are some extra celebrating events such as a lion dances, fireworks, and parades, many shops and restaurants are closed for an entire week. However, it is a good time for family reunions and paying visits to relatives.

Districts

Hong Kong is divided into a number of distinctly different districts.

Hong Kong Island was the site of the original British settlement. The Northern part of the Island is densely populated. Because of the scarcity of land supply, you'll find most of Hong Kong's skyscrapers and the famous skyline along the northern coastline. The main business and nightlife districts, in addition to the government offices, can be found here. The southern part of the Island has more leisure facilities, with beautiful beaches and luxury residential complexes.

Kowloon is the peninsula jutting down towards Hong Kong Island. It is the most populous area in Hong Kong, at one time the most densely populated place in the world.

The New Territories, named by the British officials when leased from the Chinese government in 1898, are Hong Kong's residential hinterland.

The Outlying Islands are the 234 other islands in the territory ranging from Lantau (twice the size of Hong Kong Island) to rocks poking out of the sea. Situated on Lantau is Discovery Bay a resort type residential area and home to approximately 40000 inhabitants, many of them expats or middle class locals

Get in

Hong Kong retains control of its own immigration. The good side of this is that, unlike mainland China, most Western visitors do not need to obtain visas in advance, but the bad side is that a separate visa is required to enter mainland China from Hong Kong. Detailed visa requirements are available from the Immigration Department. Anyone arriving at Hong Kong International Airport and requiring an onward visa for Mainland China, during your stay in Hong Kong, will find a kiosk in the downstairs foyer that issues them. A photo will be required and the staff will be happy to accomodate you.

By plane

Internationally, there is a major way to get into Hong Kong — through the modern Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA or HKG) which is also called Chek Lap Kok, the name of the small island it was built over. Despite initial teething troubles when opened in July 1998, the airport is modern and efficient, and it has been named the Best Airport worldwide by Skytrax for 5 years (until 2005).

There are many direct flights to Hong Kong from every continent in the world except South America and Antarctica. Most major cities in Oceania, Europe and North America are all served with at least one daily flight. Sydney has 5 daily flights, London 10, Frankfurt 2, Paris 2, Amsterdam 2, Los Angeles 3, San Francisco 3, Vancouver 3, New York 3, Chicago 2 and Toronto 2.

Flights between Hong Kong and other major Asian cities are extremely frequent: between 10 and 40 flights per day connect Hong Kong with Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Seoul, Bangkok and Beijing. Other routes may be cheaper, however. For destinations within China, it is often cheaper to fly from Shenzhen than from Hong Kong. For elswhere in Asia, consider Macau. The discount airlines land there because it has lower fees than Hong Kong.

A new airline starting up in October 2006, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines [2], offer one-way tickets to London and soon other destinations in Europe and the US for as low as HK$1000.

Hong Kong International Airport is the third busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic in Asia and the second busiest airport in terms of cargo traffic in the world.

Outside the security area, travelers will find a small but efficient post office in the airport which provides boxes, wrapping material, scissors and tape. Travelers can reach Hong Kong Central from the airport in less time than taking a local bus to the village on Chek Lap Kok.

There is a public lounge inside the airport with prices as follows:

Shower Only $80

2 Hours Lounge Use $250

5 Hours Lounge Use with Seated Massage (15 mins) or Nap (2 hrs) $300

10 Hours Lounge Use with Seated Massage (15 mins) or Nap (2 hrs) $350

Overnight Package with Shower + Nap (8 hrs) + Breakfast $450

Whole Day Package with Lounge Use + Nap (8 hrs) $600

Airport Express

Apart from taxi, the fastest local passenger transport to the airport is the Airport Express train that zips you in and out from the Kowloon and the Central district. The journey takes only 23 minutes, and there are plenty of baggage handling officers to help you get heavy bags on and off of the train. There is no need to tip them. Each way costs $60-$100, or a round trip for $110-$180, depending on the distance travelled. After arrival, free shuttle buses connecting to major hotels in Kowloon and Central are provided, or you can continue onward by MTR or taxi.

The Airport Express Tourist Octopus 3-Day Hong Kong Transport Pass gives you an Octopus card (see Get Around) good for 3 days of unlimited MTR travel, plus one ride on the Airport Express (for $220) or two (for $300). In effect, you're paying $70 for 3 days on the MTR, which is a fair bit of travel but might be worth it if you're planning to visit the Lantau Island or the New Territories. You can return the card after use to get back $50 deposit, or keep it for your next trip — any leftover value will remain valid for 3 years. [You can also add money to the card, which you can use for payment at many vending machines, some stores, and when taking the Star Ferry.]

If three or more people are travelling together, the Airport Express is more expensive than travelling by taxi. If you will need to take a taxi to your hotel after arriving the Airport Express Station, consider a direct taxi trip instead.

Airbus

The various Airbuses are cheaper but slower bus services to the city. Lines A11 and A12 go to the Island ($40 and $45 respectively), while A21 goes to Kowloon ($33). Alternatively, take bus S1 to Tung Chung ($3.50) and connect to the ordinary MTR for a cheap and zippy ride to the city (Kowloon $17, Hong Kong $23); and if you're feeling lucky, you can even try to hop on to the free Airport Express shuttle buses!

For a full listing of buses available at HKIA refer to the airport website.

If you are on a budget, take an "E" route bus rather than the "A" routes bus, they take about 20 minutes longer (50-60 min instead of 35-40 min) and are about half price (e.g. $21 for the E11 from Central). These 'External' buses are aimed more at airport workers, so they make several detours around Tung Chung. They will give you a nice tour around the airport island.

Taxi

A taxi from the airport to the city will cost you around $300 depending on your exact destination. If you have 3 or more people travelling together, it is generally cheaper to travel on a taxi than the Airport Express. Use the taxi with red body for destinations to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Green taxi is restricted to New Territories and Blue Taxi for Lantau Island

There is a large chart at the exit to the taxi stand, also available online, on the approximate fares to most destinations. The law is strict on taxi drivers charging according to the meter but there may be times when they intentionally take the longer route for the purpose of overcharging. The meter fare does not include the luggage fee and toll fee.

Taxis from the Airport to downtown Kowloon do not suffer from much traffic congestion. If you are going to Hong Kong Island, tell the taxi driver to use "Western Harbour Crossing" to avoid congestion, but it will attract a surcharge.

By outbound ferry

Hong Kong is only a 1 hour hydrofoil ride away from Macau, and there is good connectivity to mainland China as well. The main terminals are:

Lo Wu control point can only be accessed directly by KCR East Rail trains and is hence the most accessible. However, it is often congested with travellers during weekends and holidays. So if you want to avoid for the long queues, please use the other control points on holidays. Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side.

Lok Ma Chau control point can be accessed from Kowloon by taking the KCR West Rail. Leave at Long Ping Station and take the bus route 277 at the bus interchange. At Lok Ma Chau, you must switch to a yellow shuttle bus which takes you across the boundary. A faster approach is to alight at Kam Sheung Road Station and interchange with a cross boundary coach which takes you to the Chinese side of checkpoint without interchanging with the shuttle bus.

Alternatively, there are also some Cross Boundary coaches operating from the business districts in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island to the Chinese side of the checkpoint. If you take these coaches, there is no need to change for the yellow shuttle bus and hence it is a good choice for boundary crossing to avoid the queues.

Lok Ma Chau is a around-the-clock border crossing ; visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side (subject to nationality, at current applications from USA and UK passport holders are not accepted).

Man Kam To control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach on the bus interchange at Landmark North, which is just adjacent to Sheung Shui KCR Station. The 15-minute journey costs $22. It is seldom crowded with travellers even during holiday periods. You can also enjoy the free shuttle service outside the Chinese checkpoint, which takes you to the central area of Shenzhen. However, no Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side, which means you need to arrange for your visa in advanced before arrival.

It is the best route to go to the downtown in Shenzhen especially during holidays.

Sha Tau Kok control point can be accessed by taking the cross-boundary coach on the bus interchange at Luen Wo Hui in Fanling. It connects the eastern boundary of Hong Kong and Shenzhen and it is a bit remote from the central part on Shenzhen. As a consequence, only very few passengers choose to cross the boundary using this checkpoint. No Visa-on-arrival can be obtained on the Chinese side.

By train

Kowloon Canton Railway runs regular Through Train service between Guangdong Province, Beijing and Shanghai. The through train terminus is Hung Hom Station on the Kowloon side, while the current terminus of the domestic service is East Tsim Sha Tsui station.

Get around

Hong Kong's public transport system is highly developed, to the point where often the hardest part is choosing your means of transport. Centamap, produced by a local real estate agency, is one of the best tools in looking up location.

Octopus card

The Octopus payment card (八達通, Bat Dat Toong in Cantonese, with reference to a saying in Cantonese Sai Tung Bat Dat, which means convenient transport) is the heart of the public transport system. Octopus is a technology proposed in 1992, developed in 1995 and usable since September 1997. It is a contactless smart card. Even inside a wallet or bag, you can tap on card readers and the correct amount will be deducted from money stored. In addition to being used for all forms of public transport (except red minibuses and taxis), it is also accepted for payments in vitually all convenience stores, restaurant chains like McDonald's and Cafe de Coral, vending machines, all roadside parking and some car parks. Some housing estates and schools use the card for identification at entry.

When travelling by MTR, KCR, and some bus routes, payment by Octopus card always enjoys discount or rebate. It will always cost less to use Octopus card. As it has a fully refundable deposit on the card and on unused credit, it is highly advisable to get an Octopus card when in Hong Kong.

Basic adult Octopus cards cost $150, $100 face value plus $50 refundable deposit, but a $7 service charge now applies if returned in less than 3 months.

In addition to the Airport Express Octopus (see above), you can also buy a 24-hour pass for $50 at any MTR station; however, this is valid only on MTR lines.

Octopus card allows you to 'debt' once, e.g. you may pay for a ride of $5 with a card of value $2 only, but you have to add value afterwards if you want to continue using it. You can add value to the card in MTR stations, KCR stations and also at all stores which accept Octopus card payment.

By subway/underground railway

Map of the MTR System

Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR) underground network is the fastest way to get around the city, but what you gain in speed you lose in views and (at least for short distances) price. There are five lines, with the most important ones for visitors being the busy Tsuen Wan Line (red), which tunnels from Central to Kowloon and down Nathan Road towards Tsuen Wan in the New Territories and the Island Line (blue) which runs along the north coast of the Island. The new Tung Chung Line (orange) is the fastest route to Lantau and one of the cheapest ways to the airport when coupled with the S1 shuttle bus stationed at Tung Chung MTR station. The line also provides a link to Hong Kong Disney Land via a change at Sunny Bay station.

Every MTR station has one Hang Seng Bank branch (except for the massive Hong Kong/Central station, which has two). Because they're a common feature, unambiguous and easy to find, they're a good place to tell people to meet you.

Note that in Hong Kong, a subway is an underground walkway, not an underground railway, as in most English speaking countries outside of North America. While most of the trains travel underground, there are also stations whose trains travel above raised platforms.

By train

KCR system map

The Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) connects Kowloon to Canton (Guangdong) in mainland China, but is also an important commuter line. The main KCR East Rail terminates in East Tsim Sha Tsui, where you can interchange with the MTR and the Star Ferry.

The KCR West Rail links up Nam Cheong, which is on the reclaimed land next to Sham Shui Po, and Tuen Mun. It links Kowloon with the Western New Territories. Direct boundary crossing is now not available by KCR West Rail, but you can alight at Long Ping Station and take bus route 277 to the boundary. Alternatively, you can also alight at Kam Sheung Road Station and take the cross boundary coach with a promotional fare if you pay by Octopus card.

The Ma On Shan Railway, a branch of East Rail, starts at Tai Wai Station and terminates at Wu Kai Sha Station. Passengers can make use of the Ma On Shan Railway to travel to Ma On Shan, and to the more rural part of the Sai Kung Country Park.

Tourists can buy a day pass and enjoy unlimited rides on the KCR system including East Rail, West Rail and Ma On Shan Rail (excluding Racecourse and Lo Wu stations).

A station called West Kowloon Station is due to open in 2007 or 2008.

By tram

Hong Kong from the top of the Peak Tram

Operated by Hong Kong Tramways, the narrow double-decker city trams trundling on the north coast of Hong Kong Island are a Hong Kong icon. Trams are slower but the route along the length of Hong Kong Island's centre is useful and with a flat fare of only $2, they're the cheapest sightseeing tour around.

In a league of its own is the Peak Tram, Hong Kong's first mechanised mode of transport, opened back in 1888. The remarkably steep 1.7-km track up from Central to Victoria Peak is worth at least one trip despite the comparatively steep price ($20 one-way, $30 return; return tickets must be purchased in advance).

By bus

There are three flavours of bus available in Hong Kong, operated by a multitude of companies. While generally easy to use (especially with Octopus), signage in English can be sparse and finding your bus stop can get difficult. Buses are pretty much your only option for traveling around the south side of the island and Lantau.

The large double-decker buses cover practically all of the territory, stop frequently and charge varying fares depending on the distance. The first seats of the upper deck offer great views. The franchised bus operators in Hong Kong include Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB), Citybus, New World First Bus and New Lantao Bus. Route and fare information can be found on the companies web sites.

Van-sized public light buses carry a maximum of 16 passengers (seats only) and come in two varieties, namely red minibuses and green minibuses (also called maxicabs); the color refers to a wide stripe painted on top of the vehicle. Red minibuses can pick up and drop off passengers anywhere the law allows, while green minibuses follow a fixed route from point to point as fast as the traffic will allow (and then some). The Hong Kong Island green minibus #1 down from the Peak to Central is particularly exhilarating.

Kowloon Canton Railway also maintains its fleet of feeder buses. KCR passengers can enjoy a free feeder service if the payment is made by Octopus. The route K16 is especially useful for tourists who need to go to Tsim Sha Tsui from the New Territories and mainland China by rail.

Note that if paying in cash, the exact fare is required and no change can be given. Paying by Octopus is much more convenient.

Route numbering is independent in six regions: bus in Hong Kong Island/Kowloon/New Territories, bus in Lantau Island, green minibus in Hong Kong Island, green minibus in Kowloon, green minibus in New Territories and several exceptional auxilary buses route. (Red minibus does not have a route number.) This leads to duplication of routes in different regions. Although the Transport Department of Hong Kong Government has been working on the unifying of the route numbers, it is still a little bit messy at the moment. If you are confused a bit by the numbering of routes, here is a suggestion: just remember the route number of buses in Hong Kong Island/Kowloon/New Territories only whenever it is necessary. In other special circumstances, ask the driver or the station staffs for the Lantau buses and green minibuses and they can answer you.

Generally you need not to mention which district the route belongs to when you are asking for directions (almost all people will assume you will asking for the route which runs in the district you are in, e.g. if you ask for bus route #2, locals will assume you will asking for bus route #2 running in Kowloon if you are in Kowloon), but you really need to mention whether the route is bus or minibus when you ask, since in some cases both bus and minibus can have same route number in the same area which are actually different routes. (e.g. there are both bus route #6 and minibus route #6 in Tsim Sha Tsui, which are actually different routes.)

If you are curious enough, you may discover a pattern on the allocation of buses in Hong Kong/Kowloon/NT:

By ferry

A vast fleet of ferries plies between the many islands of Hong Kong. The granddaddy of them all and an attraction in itself is the Star Ferry, whose most popular line travels between Kowloon and Central nearly continuously, and offers amazing views (especially when coming from Kowloon). Upper deck seats costs $2.20, lower deck $1.70, both payable with Octopus (and a quarter of the viewless MTR fare for the same trip!).

Ferries to Lamma, Lantau and other islands depart from a variety of ports, but the largest and most important terminal is at Central adjacent to the Star Ferry. Ferries are usually divided into fast ferries and slow ferries, with fast ferries charging around twice the price for half the journey time, although not all destinations offer both kinds of service. Example fares for trips from Central to Yung Shue Wan (Lamma) are $10/15 slow/fast, and to Mui Wo (Lantau) $10.50/$21. Note that all fares increase around 50% on Sundays and public holidays.

By taxi

Taxicabs are plentiful, clean and efficient. They were just recently (2003) rated as the cheapest of all big cities in the world. Not good news for the drivers, but good for the tourist. Fares start at HK $15, and you can ride for 2 kilometres before additional $1.40 per 200m increments start ticking. A ride all the way across the island will cost no more than $80. No tipping is expected, but the fare may be rounded up to the nearest dollar.

Drivers are required to provide change for HK $100 notes, but not for higher denominations. If you only have a $500 or $1000 note and are going through a tunnel, let the driver know beforehand and he will change it when paying at the toll booth.

Life is made slightly more difficult by the fact that there are three different flavors of taxi. These can be distinguished by colour: red taxis typically serve the Island and Kowloon, and some parts of the New Territories (for example Shatin), but they are permitted to travel all over Hong Kong except to Lantau Island; green taxis serve the New Territories (only), but with a slightly cheaper fare than red taxis; blue taxis serve Lantau (only). (You are unlikely to ever encounter a blue Taxi, as there are only about 50 of them in existence.) All three types of taxis can take you to the airport. When in doubt, just take a red taxi.

In addition, red taxis are based in either the Island or Kowloon, if they do take you, they will charge you twice the bridge/tunnel toll so they can get back! But you can use this to your advantage by picking a homebound taxi from a cross-harbour taxi rank in places like the Star Ferry pier or Hung Hom station. In these cross-harbour taxi stands only single toll charge will be applied to the taxi fare.

There are no extra late-night charges. Baggage will cost you $5 a pop (but in practice almost never charged) and all tolls are payable. The wearing of seat belts is required by law.

All taxi's are radio equipped and can be reserved and requested via an operator for a token fee, payable to the driver. You are unlikely to need to call a taxi though as they are plentiful.

It is good practice to get a local person to write the name or address of your destination in Chinese for you to hand to the taxi driver, as most drivers do not speak sufficient English. For example, if you wish take a journey back to your hotel, ask a receptionist for a compliment slip (with its address on it) prior to going out.

By car

Renting a car is almost unheard of in Hong Kong. With heavy traffic, extremely complex road network and rare parking spaces, renting a car is very unappealing. However, if you must, expect to pay over $600/day even for a small car.

By cable car

Talk

Cantonese is the language spoken by 95% of the people in Hong Kong. Though Hong Kong is a former British colony, the degree of English proficiency is limited among non-professionals in those districts where more locals visit than tourists. However, others including most taxi drivers, street vendors, salesperson etc. are fluent enough for sufficient communication, especially at tourist destinations such as hotels and certain restaurants. English is fluently spoken among the business community.

Most locals are not fluent in Mandarin, but can comprehend it to a certain degree. Mandarin proficiency is increasing, especially after the reunification with the mainland.

All official signs are bilingual, in both Chinese (Traditional) and English. Most shops and restaurants also have English signage, though don't expect this from the more local or obscure establishments.

Buy

The Hong Kong dollar is the common currency. The official exchange rate is fixed at 7.80 HKD to 1 USD, although bank rates may fluctuate slightly. Issued by several different banks (where the three major ones are HSBC [a.k.a. Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation], Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of China) and with different versions in which the style varies a lot, these multicoloured, and increasing in size, banknotes come in denominations of:

$10, green or purple (The purple note is issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA))

$20, dark blue or light blue (old or new)

$50, purple or green (old or new)

$100, red

$500, brown

$1000, gold

Some shops do not accept $1000 notes due to counterfeiting concerns.

The coins come in units of

$10, in bronze/silver, circular

$5, in silver, circular, thicker

$2, in silver, wavey-circular

$1, in silver, circular, thinner

50c, in bronze, circular, larger

20c, in bronze, wavey-circular

10c, in bronze, circular, smaller

varying in a descending size (except $10 coin)

One from other places may be surprised of the variety of different versions of banknotes issued by different note-issuing banks. You may want to have a quick look of it here (not including the new banknotes). Since September 1997, the use of the small coins and change has been reduced due to the innovation of the Octopus card. Originally used just for transit payments for subways and buses, it now is used all over the city, for purchases in any amount at convenience shops, fast food stores, pharmacies, vending machines, etc. It has changed the speed and ease of small transactions in Hong Kong, and does away with many of the small coin transactions.

Shop

Hong Kong is still known as an excellent destination for shopping. Prices are comparably cheaper than the US, Europe or Japan, especially with no sales tax on anything. The variety is a lot better than in most Asian countries. Popular shopping items include consumer electronics, custom clothing, shoes, jewellery, expensive brand name goods, Chinese antiques, toys and Chinese herbs/medicine.

As a generalisation, the Island has the fancy name-brand air-con shopping malls (particularly near Causeway Bay), while Kowloon is the place to go for cheap open markets.
Kowloon also has Nathan Road with many shops selling electronics, cameras and gadgets, mainly to tourists. Some of the business prctices there are quite deceptive and tourists are commonly overcharged. Compare prices before you buy. It would be safer to buy from large chain stores like Broadway or Fortress.

Hong Kong people themselves often shop for some things in Shenzhen just over the border into China.

Special Souvenir

Before leaving Hong Kong, at the International Airport, you may find a shop selling dragon beard candy with icy-crispy taste and texture. It was a dessert for emperor many years ago. Thousands of sugar thread are made by hands in minutes at Bamboo Garden. It may be a good choice to bring Chinese traditional delicacy home.

Shopping Centers

Hong Kong is full of shopping centers. Here are some of them

Harbour City - Huge Shopping Center in Tsim Sha Tsui on Canton Road, to get there take the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui, or take the Star Ferry[3]

Pacific Place - also a big shopping centre. Take the MTR to Admiralty

Festival Walk - A big shopping center with a mix of expensive brands and smaller chains. There is also an ice skating rink there.

Cityplaza - A similarly large shopping centre, also with an ice-skating rink. To get there, take the MTR to Taikoo on the Island Line.

Just as in any city, there are certain areas with tourist traps. They are often nameless stores that sell electronics such as digital cameras, cellphones, and computers. However, the selling price is often overpriced. These shops can easily be identified with usage of attention-grabbing neon signs of electronics brand names, numerous employees in a very small store space, and often several of these stores in a row. There are many of these stores on Nathan Road, Kowloon and in Causeway Bay as well. If you are shopping for inexpensive electronics, head for a Broadway or Fortress chain store.

Guided Walk

Victoria Peak

Get a stunning view of Hong Kong Island on the Victoria Peak with the giant, Wok shaped Peak Tower. Within the building are shops, restaurants, museums, and viewing points. The Peak Tram runs from Central to the bottom of the Peak Tower.

Horse Racing

The racing season runs from September to June, during which time meetings take place twice weekly, the location alternating between Shatin in the New Territories and Happy Valley near Wan Chai. Of these, Happy Valley is the more convenient and more impressive location, although live races only take place here on Wednesday night. For only HK$10 entrance fee, a night in Happy Valley can be filled with entertainment. Get a local Chinese gambler to explain the betting system to you and then drink the cheap draft beer! Be sure to pick up the Racing Post section in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday to guide you. A 'beer garden' with racing commentary in English available at Happy Valley near the finish line, and many expatriates congregate here during the races.

Local life

The most effective way to know how Hong Kong people live is to experience the local life of an ordinary Hong Kong resident.
Go visit a public housing estate and a private one in a row, you witness the difference of rich and poor; go visit a fresh food market and a larger supermarket called "superstore", you witness struggle between small retailers and corporations; go visit one of the small shopping malls in Mongkok, you witness teenagers spend their pocket money on overpriced sneakers and "BAPE" products.
Just wander and observe - and don't worry - most areas in town are quite secure.

It is rather sad that most tourists only hang around the several tourist districts. However, it is very worthwhile to go to some more Hongkongish places like Ladies Street, Temple Street, Seafood Street, Apliu Street and so on, which a list of so may be retrieved through the website DiscoverHongKong.com, the official site of the Hong Kong Tourist Board.

Traditional heritage

There are many traditional heritage locations throughout the territory.

Museums

There are a variety of museums in Hong Kong with different themes, but to be honest, the people on the streets seem offer more insights than the exhibits in most of these government-run museums. One exception is the Hong Kong Museum of History.

Nature

Hong Kong is not all skyscrapers, and it's worthwhile to go to the countryside, including the country parks and marine parks.

Lantau Island is twice as big as Hong Kong and is well worth checking out if you want to get away from the bright lights and pollution of the city for a spell. Here you will find open countryside, traditional fishing villages, secluded beaches, monasteries and more. You can hike, camp, fish and mountain bike, amongst other activities.

Sai Kung is also a worthwhile place to visit, for its hilly geographic features. If you like challenging, try going onto the Sharp Peak (Am She Tsim in Cantonese)

Hong Kong Wetland Park is a relaxing park set amidst an ecological mitigation area. One can stroll along a network of boardwalks built over the marshy area and watch birds from a tower. The park also features a large visitors center/museum. The museum has many interactive exhibits ideal for children, as well as some live animal habitats. To visit, take KCR West Rail to Tin Shui Wai Station, then the #705 light rail to Wetland Park. The park is stroller and wheelchair friendly.

The cablecar is an icon and an essential link between the two parts of the park. The views of the South China Sea from the car is always terrific.

Seeing different sides of Hong Kong by Public Transport

Travelling on a bus or a tram is ideal for looking at different sides of Hong Kong. Not only it is cheap to ride on a bus or a tram, it also allows you to see completely different lifestyles in different districts in a short time. Below are some recommended routes.

Bus

KMB Route 70 starts from the downtown in Jordan, Kowloon. It goes along Peninsular Kowloon and heads through the New Territories. Then it goes into Sha Tin new town. Afterwards it goes through Tai Po Road, where you can see many traditional Chinese villages and the sceneric Chinese University of Hong Kong. The bus further goes to Tai Po and you can see the traditional Market. After Tai Po, the bus again passes through the countryside and eventually reaches its terminus at Sheung Shui, which is near the Hong Kong - Shenzhen boundary. The journey takes 105 minutes and costs $8.20 for the whole journey with a traditional non air-conditioned bus.

A tram on Hong Kong Island

NWFB Route 15 starts from Central (Exchange Square) to The Peak. It is an alternative way for getting to The Peak by bus rather than by Peak Tram. Your journey to Hong Kong will not be complete unless you have visited the Victoria Peak. You can see the beautiful view of Hong Kong Island, Victoria Habour and Kowloon Peninsula along the Stubbs road during the journey. When you arrive, there are two shopping malls: The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria, which provide restaurants, a supermarket, and souvenir shops for your convenience. In addition, Madame Tussauds Hong Kongis temporarily closed for renovation, and it may be re-opened in May 2006. Direction: you can take MTR and get off at Hong Kong station. You can approach Hong Kong station by the underpass from Central station. After that, follow the exit B1 to Exchange Square and you will see the bus terminus. You can also get off at Admiralty station. Then, follow the C1 exit toward Queensway Plaza. The bus stop is located at the motorway beside Admiralty Garden. After you get in the bus, just stay on until it arrives to The Peak bus terminus. The bus fare is $9.2 and it takes about 30 minutes for the journey.

Tram

The tram system refers to Hongkong Tramways, a slow yet special transportation running on Hong Kong Island. It, operating since 1904, is a relic of the British administration. A trip on a tram is a perfect way to have a leisurely tour around Hong Kong Island's major streets and to have a glimpse to the locals life. Fares are relatively cheap, about 2 HK dollars per trip.

It is recommended to ride from as far as Kennedy Town in the west, to as far as Shau Kei Wan in the east, in order to get a strong contrast of "East meets West" and "Old meets New".

Avenue of the Stars and A Symphony of Lights

Hong Kong's version of Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Avenue of the Stars[4] celebrates the icons of Hong Kong cinemas's past century. The seaside promenade is also offers fantastic views day and night of the Hong Kong harbour and skyline. The Avenue can be reached from the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station or the Star Ferry.

The Avenue of the Stars is also a great place to see A Symphony of Lights, a spectacular light and laser show syncronized to music and staged every night at 8:00pm. This is the world's "Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" as recognized by the Guinness World Records. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the light show is in English. On the other nights, it is in Cantonese.

Eat

This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:

Budget

Under $50

Mid-range

$50-$400

Splurge

Over $400

Perhaps the number one highlight of Hong Kong is the cuisine. Not only is it a showcase of traditional and modern Cantonese cuisine, the various regional cuisines from around China, such as Teochew and Sichuan are all well represented.. There are also excellent Asian and Western restaurants as well.

Residents tend to eat out a lot more than in other countries. Perhaps because of this eating out can be fairly cheap, as long as you stick to local restaurants, and avoid the often overpriced western counterparts.

Above all, Hong Kong is known for its dim sum (點心), delicately prepared morsels of Cantonese cuisine served from a neverending procession of carts and eaten with tea. Dim sum is usually eaten for breakfast or lunch and is often the focus of family get-togethers on Sundays.

A uniquely Hong Kong-style eatery starting to make waves elsewhere in Asia is the cha chaan teng (茶餐廳), literally "tea cafe", but offering fusion fast food that happily mixes Western and Eastern fare: innovations include noodles with Spam, stir-fried spaghetti and baked rice with cheese. Usually a wide selection of drinks is also available, almost always including the popular tea-and-coffee mix yuanyang (鴛鴦), and perhaps more oddities (to the Western palate) like boiled Coke with ginger or iced coffee with lemon. Orders are usually recorded on a chit at your table and you pay at the cashier as you leave.

The "Seafood street" in the district of Sai Kung, New Territories, Hong Kong. Numerous restaurants specialized in seafood serve locals and tourists alike.

For those who wish to eat Hong Kong's famous seafood, there are different locations in Hong Kong's coastal areas where freshly caught seafood is cooked and served. Places like Sai Kung, Po Doi O, Lei Yu Mun, Lau Fau Shan are good places to find restaurants specialized in seafood. These restaurants have different tanks to keep the seafood alive and will present live seafood specimens to their patrons for them to choose before cooking.

Budget

Cooked food centres (Dai Pai Dong 大牌檔) provide economic solutions to diners, and they are popular with local citizens. There are many cooked food centres in various districts. The cooked food centre in Sha Kok Estate, Sha Tin is easily accessible by KCR. It is adjacent to Sha Tin Wai Railway Station. It is highly recommended to tourist, as it is the truly Hong Kong cuisine and living style.

Wet markets are still prevalent. Freshness is a key ingredient to all Chinese food, so frozen meat and vegetables are frowned upon, and most markets display freshly butchered beef and pork (with entrails), live fish in markets, and more exotic shellfish, frogs, turtles and snails. Maids who cook for their employers usually go to the market everyday to buy fresh ingredients, just like the restaurants.

24 hour convenience stores 7-Eleven and Circle K can be found anywhere.

Splurge

Hong Kong also has a staggering range of international restaurants serving cuisines from all over the world. These can often be found in, though not restricted to, entertainment districts such as Lan Kwai Fong, Soho or Knutsford Terrace.

Barbecue

Barbecue (normally spelt BBQ) is a popular local pastime. Many areas feature free public barbecue pits. Locals enjoy a style where everybody roasts their own food. It's not just sausages and burgers-- the locals enjoy trying a variety of food at BBQ, such as fish, beef meatballs, pork meatballs, chicken wings, and so on.

Drink

Drinking has not been something the locals were big on in the past but it is becoming much more popular with the younger generation. Thanks to the large numbers of western expats there are plenty of places for them to go and drink, especially on the Island side. The traditional hotspot for both eating and drinking with westerners is Lan Kwai Fong in Central. Wan Chai is also fun, if slightly sleazier with numerous girly bars along Lockhart Road, while Causeway Bay and Eastern Soho out beyond Quarry Bay offer a less touristy experience.

Popular lagers include Tsing Tao (pronounced 'ching doe') or San Miguel.

Imported San Miguel is better than the locally produced variety. More expensive bars end will likely serve this, but at others you may have to specifically ask for "Philippine San Miguel" (and pay more) At the lower end only locally stuff will be available. Imported bottles can be easily distinguished as they have brown glass with white frosted lettering. Locally filled bottles use a label.

One of the best way to drink in Hong Kong is to have a walk around all the bars first and have a look which ones are doing special offers and what time they run Happy Hour. Most bars have a Happy Hours, which makes for a more cost effective way to drink. Also keep in mind the races on a Wednesday night at Happy Valley race course, you only pay $10hk for entry and pay around $100 for a jug of beer. Also Wednesday nights is ladies night, during which many bars in Wan Chai give free drinks to the ladies.

The legal drinking age is 18. Public drunkeness is not so rare as one would think amongst locals and very accepted amongst foreigners.

Ned Kelly's Last Stand A really good bar to go for pre-partying. Located on Austin road parallell to the famous Nathan road on kowloon side, it's an australian themed jazz bar with great food and good live music almost every night starting at 21-22, which is about when the happyhour ends. The place is laid out with long tables where total strangers can sit together, it's quite big with the frequent visitors of hong-kong such as travelling businessmen and the art-community.

Sticky fingers The awesomest place around? Who knows, but its a nice place to get some women and listen to a great house-band play live rock music on stage. The drinks are pretty good too.

Knutsford Terrace is a popular drinking and dining spot in Kowloon but there are many other places in and around Tsim Sha Tsui. Some of them can get pretty expensive though - up to USD10 for a drink in some places!

Joe Bananas A wonderful place located on lockhart road, where the drinks are friendly and the women are cheap (or was it the other way around?) Pretty big with the foreign crowd. One of the few places on lockhart where the women are not predominantly prostitutes.

To really go to town, spend a few hundred $ drinking in the Felix bar at the top of the Peninsula Hotel, Kowloon-side. Possibly the best view in the world, especially from the gents'!

Sleep

Accommodation in Hong Kong tends to be on the small side. Accommodation ranging from cheap backpacker hostels to the ritziest luxury hotels can be found in the city. As a rule of thumb, expensive luxury accommodation are on Hong Kong Island while cheaper digs can be found in Kowloon and the New Territories . However, five-star hotels in Hong Kong are generally cheaper than in other major cities such as New York City, Sydney, Paris or London.

Besides luxury five star hotels, there are also a variety of more affordable hotels, guest houses, backpacker hostels, and holiday camps. The government maintains an online list of licensed hotels and guesthouse. The online directory can be found here. Price can be checked up for reference from one of the local travel agencies [5].

A few Youth Hostels [6] are available in Hong Kong for booking, but most of them are located outside the city. The YMCA 'The Salisbury' is not a real YMCA, but rather a 3-4 Star hotel with nice rooms, private bathrooms and so on. Its location right at the southern end of Kowloon (and next door to the Peninsula) makes this an ideal place to stay for budget-minded travellers. For the truly budget-minded, there are numerous cheap hostels that can be found inside Chungking Mansions and Mirador Mansions buildings, near the intersection of Nathan Road and Mody Road in Kowloon. Chungking Mansions have the bad "reputation" of sleeping places for many illegal foreign workers and non-documented immigrants. Unless you cannot find another place to stay, stay in another budget hotels or hostels along Nathan Road.

Also note that consumer protection is practically non-existant when dealing with the cheap hostels located at Nathan Road, if you must stay there never pay more than one night beforehand and if possible, use a credit card. Always demand to check the room beforehand, otherwise you can be charged for equipment that somebody else broke. If you are cheated, contact the tourist information center near the Star Ferry pier at Kowloon side.

There is a large movement for the Cantonese speaking folks to learn Mandarin, because of more links with and visitors from mainland China.

Work

You need an employment visa in Hong Kong to take up paid employment. This usually involves any potential employer making an application to the Immigration Department on your behalf, crucially you should have skills that are provably not available from the local job market. In June 2006 the Immigration Department revived a rule that allows the spouse of anyone currently working legally in Hong Kong to get a "dependent's visa". This allows the spouse to take up any employment they wish, without having to seek approval from the Immigration Department.

Stay safe

Crime

As large international cities go, Hong Kong is one of the safest, in terms of crime and personal safety. However it does have its share of petty crime, but it can be avoided with some street smarts.

Do not do business with people pushing their cards to you on the streets (so called street hawkers, mainly legal and illegal immigrants near Nathan Road, Kowloon). They advertise tailor services and consumer electronics and the prices are 20-50% higher than in reliable chain stores and department stores. Usually you are asked to pay half beforehand, and when you come to claim your product, they say it's sold out and offer another model for much higher price. It can be very hard to get your money back from them as they might even hold your credit card as a 'hostage' and refuse to give it back unless you agree to take the more expensive item. Best advice is to avoid street hawkers completely (don't even reply to them or you will attract only more!), and if already in trouble, contact the nearest police officer immediately.

Watch your purse and wallet at all times. When in restaurants, do not sling your pack or purse behind your chair. Clutch any bags or purses in front of you when on the buses and railways.

In Hong Kong, the emergency number for Police, Fire and Ambulance is 999.

Be careful when hiking alone - in fact, never try to hike alone no matter where you are. With the loosening up of border restrictions to allow mainland tourists there have been some instances of people being held captive by one person whilst another takes their Cashpoint card to withdraw money, although in fact this is quite rare.

Weather

Typhoons normally occur during the months of May to November, and are particularly prevalent during September. Whenever a typhoon approaches within 800km of Hong Kong, typhoon warning signal 1 is issued. Signal 3 is issued as the storm approaches. When the storm is expected to hit, signal 8 is issued. At this point, most of business activities shuts down, including shops, restaurants and the transport system. However, some entertainment facilities such as cinemas may still open for business. Signal 9 and 10 may be issued depending on the intensity of the storm.

Taxis may still available when signal 8 or above is issued, but then they are under no obligation to service passengers as insurance cover is no longer effective under such circumstances. It is quite possible to negotiate a fare with the driver, typically up to twice the meter fare.

Rainstorms also have their own warning system. In increasing order of severity, the levels are amber, red and black.

Road

Signage on the roads in Hong Kong is typically different from most other cities. Zebra lines indicate crossing areas for pedestrians and traffic comes from the right. To stay safe, visit the Transport Department's Road Users' Code for complete details.

Crossing roads by foot should also be exercised with great care. Local traffic in Hong Kong generally moves fast once the signal turns green. To help both the visually impaired and even people who are not, an audible aid is played at every intersection. Rapid bells indicate "Walk"; Intermittent bells (10 sets of 3 bells) indicate "Do Not Start to Cross"; and Slow bells indicate "Do Not Walk".

Stay healthy

One unexpected cause of sickness in Hong Kong is the extreme temperature change between 35°C (95°F) humid summer weather outdoors and 18°C (65°F) air-conditioned buildings and shopping malls. Some people experience cold symptoms after moving between the two extremes so often; it is not unusual to wear a sweater or covering to stay warm indoors (though the Hong Kong Government currently encourages the temperature in air-conditioned buildings be kept at 25.5 °C for energy saving, etc.)

Whilst tap water is technically safe to drink (taste aside), the government highly recommends boiling it before consumption as contamination may occur in the piping system. Most locals boil or filter their water, or buy inexpensive bottled water.

Because of recent concerns about SARS and the threat of Avian Flu, there are hygiene stations around town featuring antiseptic hand gel and alcohol sprays. You're wise to use them in crowded areas such as shopping malls, lifts and public areas, just to be safe. Basically, it's a safe place to visit.

Pollution

Respect

Westerners say Hong Kong can be a pretty rude city with the large crowds, pushing, shoving, and crowdedness — similar to New York City or London. However, it can be best described as hurried and efficient (terse, perhaps), but not mean spirited. Even on a night out, the atmosphere is rarely menacing and most people in shops and restaurants are helpful and friendly. Most folks know a modicum of English, since it was a British colony, so you don't have to worry about offending anyone by speaking English. Some Hong Kong people use the term gwai lo (commonly translated as "foreign ghost" in English; it literally means "ghost guy") to refer to Caucasian foreigners. However, locally, this term is simply used as a term to refer to Caucasians and usually no longer carries the derogatory meaning it once intended.

Manners and Etiquette

Manners are very important to local people, however, their ideas of manners can be very different to Western ideas. For example, it's somewhat acceptable to chomp and slurp your food, talk quite loudly in public, or point out to someone how fat they are. There are exceptions though — when there is something worth queuing and barging through for, like some special bargain sale, all bets are off! English is a second language to the locals. However, those who understand English well can also be extremely helpful and polite.

Courtesy

Due to increased tourism and competition from both Mainland China and other places, courtesy in Hong Kong has increased dramatically. Now, when you approach a department or chain clothing stores, staff greet you when you enter the store and thank you when you leave the store, even if you haven't bought anything. Just a quick glance at a particular item will instantly provoke an employee to ask if you need assistance. Usually, they will stay at your side getting the right sizes, etc until you are ready to make the purchase. To most visitors, they will be extremely impressed with this service.

Contact

Hong Kong has communications facilities as modern as any in the world.

Post

Postal services are efficient and of high quality. You will find post offices in major city areas. You can buy stamps from many convenience stores such as 7-Eleven or Circle K (OK).

Internet Access

Cyber cafes are widespread in the city, but they are generally geared towards gamers. For simple Internet access, you may want to go to terminals in cafes like Pacific Coffee which can be used for free by customers. Free terminals can also be found in some public areas, such as shopping malls, departures hall in the airport, MTR Wanchai station and Central Station, and the public libraries. The central public library in Causeway Bay, opposite Victoria Park, has hundreds of free terminals and free broadband access if you bring a notebook PC.

Telephone

The prefix for international calls 001. Hong Kong's country-code is 852 (different from China and Macau). Local phone numbers (mobile and landlines) are typically 8 digits; no area codes are used. For the operator, dial 1000. For police, fire service or ambulance dial 999.

Mobile phone subscriber penetration is very high (115% in 2004). If you have a GSM handset (GSM 900, 1800) or WCDMA handset , purchase a prepaid SIM card to use in your phone. They can be bought for cash at most convenience stores. 2G (cheaper) and newer 3G cards are available, but both are relatively cheap. A card with value of around $50 should be sufficient unless you are making international calls. Most cards provide standard services such as SMS and voice mail. For the adventurous types, discounted prepaid SIM Cards can be purchased in Ap Liu Street in Sham Shui Po, and "Sin Daat" arcade in Mongkok (Argyle St - close to Lady street). Cheap GSM and 3G phones can be purchased here as well. Mobile phone numbers also have eight digits and begin with 6 or 9. Be aware that you pay to both make and receive calls and this includes the unfortunate situation of having to pay to listen to increasingly common spam (advertising) calls. Coverage is generally excellent and is available on most networks even when underground, including at MTR stations and on trains.

Payphones are available and $1 is for a local call for 5 minutes usually. If you don't have a mobile and need to make a short local call, most restaurants, supermarkets and shops will oblige if you ask nicely. The airport have a courtesy phone just before you step out of the glassed area after the customs - you cannot go back there, once you left.

Get out

Macau, the former Portuguese colony and present gambling haven is just an hour away by TurboJet ferry. Ticket prices start at $141 for the one-hour ride to Macau. The ferry building is near the Sheung Wan MTR station on Hong Island. Less frequent ferries are also available from New World First Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.

Shenzhen, mainland China boomtown just across the border can be reached by KCR East Rail in about 40 minutes. The train is convenient if you are keen on shopping as it terminates in the Lo Wu commercial center. Another alternative, especially if you are starting from the island is the ferry to Shekou which takes around 50 minutes and costs around $100.

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province can be reached by train within 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the type of train. If you are on a budget, many cross border buses are available throughout Hong Kong. The trip will take more than 3 hours, including going through customs at the border and changing buses.

The Wikitravel itinerary A week near Hong Kong has suggestions for travel from Hong Kong to nearby destinations.